Metal sheathing for cars and houses.



APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. $913.

Patentefl. Sept. 18, 1917.

PIIIIIIAl/IIIl/I/IIl/I/l I WILLIAM EBASTUS WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METAL SHEATHING FOR CARS AND HOUSES.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed November 26, 1913. Serial No. 803,133.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Metal Sheathings for Cars and Houses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sheathing that combines a panel effect with a smooth exterior, provides air spaces and gives a stifl ribbed construction to resist distortion.

The object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive, light sheathing that will contribute materially to the strength ofthe structural frame work of the car or house.

My sheathing is made in panels complete in themselves Which are applied to the side of the structure in units of the desired size, and were it practicable to handle the sheathing in lengths equaling the length of the structure to be covered, my sheathing could be so constructed Other sheathings resembling mine in appearance are usually made with distinct, separately atfixed slats which add little or no strength, and when they have a more or less continuous base member the latter is not usually of such form as to give a plate girder effect in the structure.

My sheathing is applied to the car with very much less labor, is lighter and furnishes a plate girder to the side of the car.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an edge view of the sheathing assembled on the side of a car, house, or any structure that it may be used upon.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the back or inside of the sheathing.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sheathin from the outside.

ig. 4 is a section of the sheathing on Fig. 5 is a section of the sheathing through line 55 of Fig. 2, showing the screw, bolt, or rivet hole.

Fig.6 is a section of'the sheathing onglin 6-6 of Fig 2. Y

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 shows the end of one of the slats that cover the joint between the sections of the sheathing. I

9 shows-the end of a modified form.

Fig. 10 shows a section of the structure of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 shows the rear face of the form shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

In the drawings 1 indicates a side girder or the side of the car, house or structure, to which the sheathing is secured- The sheathing involves spaced inner and outer plates and the inner plate is usually made up of a series of abutting plate sections 2 in the same plane, each provided with low outwardly projecting preferably embossed ribs 8. The outer plate usually consists of primarily independent similar abutting plate sections 3 each of which is provided on its inner face with equally spaced, equally projecting parallel and vertical ribs 4 formed by bending or folding the sheet in such manner that its general outer face, when completed, is. plane and nearly continuous although slightly grooved along the lines of the ribs. The marginal portion of each plate section is bent inwardlyto the inner plate at a distance from.

the nearest rib equal to the distance between adjacent ribs, to form an overhanging ofi'set, and is then carried onward to some distance along the face of the inner plate. The outer and inner plates are assembled in such position that on one side the marginal portion 9 of the inner plate projects to some distance beyond the marginal portion 6 of the outer plate section (Fig. 4) while at the opposite side of the superposed sections the marginal portion 5 of the outer plate projects beyond the margin 10 of the inner plate (Fig. 6), so that when the sections are assembled as in Fig. 1, the plates overlap, breaking joints. The widths of the marginal portions are such that when they abut as shown in Fig. 1, the distance between adjacent overhanging offsets is substantially equal to the distance between consecutive ribs 4, whereby there is formed a dovetail channel, having rentrant angles 7, to receive a slat 18 marginally'bent to fit the channel and having its outer face in the plane of the outer faces of the plate sections 3, so that the slat in place is practically indistinguishable from the lnter-rib portions of the plate sect-ion. At suitable points along the rib lines, the outer plate is pressed welds at 12 where the ribs l cross the ribs 8 of the rear or inner plate, wnereby the sheets are integrally connected to form a rigid cellular structure. The cellular sections are secured together and tothe car or other structure by screws or the-like passing through holes 16 in the marginal portions 5, 6, 9, 10 of the plate sections and after the cellular sections are thus joined the slats 18 are forced from below into their channels covering the fastening l7 and are themselves secured in place by screws or rivets at 19.

In Figs. 9, 10, 11, I show wires 20 extending across the back of the plate 3 in place of plate 2. The wires 20 are welded down flush, at the points 21, into the ribs, and the ends of the wires are bent over at 22 and welded to the plate 3 on the inside of the acute angle 7, thus completely tying across the summits of the ri s at the back of plate 3.

The wires 20 may be spaced sufficiently close together to give all the strength required across the back of late 3.

The spaces on the bac of plate 3, see Fig. 9, may be filled in with cement 23 when desired.

In place of wires 20 I may use strips of metal rovided with ribs or indentures 8 and we (1 them to the back of plate 3 for the stiffening backing.

-With my sheathing the plate 2 forms the web member of a regular plate girder when fastened to the car or structure side and gives a-strength not obtained with the other panel styles of sheathing in use. The plate 3 welded up as described, also assists in forming the girder effect.

I can weld the plate 2 to the summits of the ribs or flanges 4 of late 3 without the indentures 8, but I pre er to use them for giving added stifi'ness to the plate 2.

The plates 2 and 3 may be secured together in any suitable manner by bolts, rivets, brazing or welding,-but I prefer to use the latter as it makes the plates as one plate as to rigidity.

My construction provides air spaces in the body of the sheathing and on account of the ribs,; which separate the air spaces, thin sheets of metal may be used for the plates. The front and rear plates, connected as they are to each other at the sides or edges of the panels where the sections join each other, assist materially in a plate girder result for the side of the structure to which the sheathing is attached.

What I claim is: I

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination with an outer plate made up of sheets each bent to form on one face parallel ribs and on the other face corresponding panels, the successive sheets overhanging marginallyto form dovetail rooves to recelve joint panel slats, joint si hts fit tin said grooves, respectively, transverse bac 'ng members integrally secured to the inner margins of all the ribs of the sheets, respectively, means for securin each united front and backing member to t e wall to be sheathed, and means for securing each joint panel in its roove.

2. A sheat ing composed of a front plate provided with stiffening ribs made therein in a manner to give the appearance on the outside of a slatted sheathing said plate formed at its edges parallel to the ribs to provide a locking groove for a joint slat, a joint slat adapted. to fit the groove and bridge the space between thesections of the sheathing; with a backingplate fixed to the front plate across the summits of the ribs.

3. A sheathing composed of a front plate provided with stiffening ribs formed therein in a manner to give the appearance on the outside of a slatted sheathing, said plate bent at its edges parallel with the ribs'in a manner to provide a locking groove for a joint slat; with a backing plate fixed to the front plate across the summits of the ribs and the plates overlapping each other at the edges in a manner to cover up the 4. A sheathin composed of a front plate having ribs ma e therein whereby panel or slatted effect is produced on the outside surface and the edges of said plate bent in a manner to produce a locking groove for an adjacent section of the sheathing or a cover slat and terminating in a surface adapted to be fixed to the side of the structure; with a backing plate secured to the inside of the said front plate.

5. A sheathing composed of a front plate having ribs made therein whereby panel or slatted effect is produced on the outside surface and the edges of said plate bent in a manner to produce a lockin groove foran adjacent section of the sheathing or a cover slat and terminatin in a surface adapted to be fixed to the si e of the structure; with a backing plate secured to the inside of the said front plate and a cover slat adapted to interlock in the grooved ends of the sections of the sheathing.

6. The combination with a metal facing sheet having its exterior surface divided into panels by folds forming on the opposite side of the sheet ribs of uniform width and pressed inward at intervals to form rigid integral cup-like struts extending to the plane of the inner margins of said ribs, of a transverse member integrally connecting said margins.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name on this 22nd day of No- 10 vember, 1913, in the city of Chicago in the county of Cook and State of Illinois in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

E. H. SoHAFER, R. E. BURKHARDT. 

